


No More Heroes

by blackredpanda



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Reminiscing, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26792917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackredpanda/pseuds/blackredpanda
Summary: Axl's escape from Red Alert hits a not-entirely-unexpected snag.(Whumptober 2020 Day 3: Forced To Their Knees)
Relationships: Axl & Red (Rockman)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 21
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	No More Heroes

"Over here, ugly!" Axl leapt clear as Mega Scorpio's claws crushed the asphalt where he had been standing. Activating his thrusters to maintain his position mid-air, he fired several shots at the giant Maverick's head. Most glanced off Scorpio's armour or made small cracks, but one direct hit to its eye had it reeling backwards, howling in rage. Before it could recover and defend itself, Zero sprang up, plunged his sabre into the weakened eye and slashed its head open. Scorpio took one more halting step, feebly snapping its claws at the air. Then its already-damaged legs buckled and it collapsed with a deafening crash, cracking the asphalt beneath its weight.

Axl heaved a sigh of relief. His core was still racing, his landing was shaky, and there were too many low-level alerts throughout his systems to count. Evading Red Alert for the past week had been no joke. But if Red thought the big guns like Scorpio would bring Axl back to do his dirty work - he could choke on _that_. Sure, Red Alert had more firepower yet, but they'd have to track him down again and mobilise. And there was a new factor for them to deal with.

Zero was here. _The_ Zero. The S-Class Hunter, the Red Ripper, veteran of six Maverick wars. Even Stonekong would have a tough fight, Axl reckoned, and if Axl and Zero teamed up, they had very good odds. Then, if X joined in like he apparently did in the old days...

"Well," Axl said. "That takes care of that!"

"Then it's your turn."

Axl froze. Zero was behind him, his sabre burning where it hovered a hair's breadth from the side of his neck.

"Drop your weapons and kneel."

Axl knelt and hefted the mobster's corpse onto his shoulder. It wasn't heavy to him, but it was still an awkward load. He hoped he'd get used to it soon like Red said he would last time.

"That'll do," Red chuckled. "Let's move. At least we won't run into any Hunter patrols out here."

That made Axl shift the corpse again as he fell in beside his mentor. "...Red?"

"Yeah?"

"The Maverick Hunters hunt Mavericks too, right? What makes them and us different?"

"You have to ask? We do our job - and our name's better."

At another time, Axl would have groaned and rolled his eyes. Try as he might though, he couldn't imagine any Hunters - much less the legends, X and Zero - trudging through alleyways in the dead of night to dispose of Mavericks they wanted to impersonate. "Red... I'm serious."

Red turned then so Axl was no longer in his blind spot as they kept walking. But it was a long while before he spoke again.

"You'll see," he said at last, giving Axl a few scritches on his helmet.

"You heard me," Zero growled.

Squeezing his eyes shut against the memory, Axl cast his guns to the ground, wincing at the harsh clatter.

_Well, Red..._

He sank to his knees and placed his hands on his head.

_You'll see too._

**Author's Note:**

> Reads and kudos always appreciated. All comments welcome, including but not limited to emotes, short comments, long comments, essays longer than the fic, questions, or constructive criticism.


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